VALENCIA have issued Tottenham with an ultimatum regarding striker Roberto Soldado - he can leave, but only if his £26million (€30m) release clause is met.

Tottenham had been hoping to negotiate a deal for Soldado with Andre Villas-Boas confirming that Spurs were interested in the Spanish international as they look to improve their strike force ahead of the new season.

Tottenham's technical director Franco Baldini travelled to Spain on Monday to try and thrash out a deal for Soldado, but no agreement has been struck as Valencia refuse to budge on their valuation of the player.

Valencia president Amadeo Salvo said: "Soldado can go if he wants - for €30m (£26m) and under our conditions.

A move to Spurs seems near for Roberto Soldado

Roberto Soldado was Valencia's leading scorer last term

"Valencia never had any intention of selling Soldado. If he goes then it is because the €30m (£26m) figure has been met, not a cent less or a cent more.

"The buying club will also have to accept Valencia's conditions of payment also."

Salvo confirmed that the deal was far from dead however, and that further talks with Tottenham are planned.

Franco Baldini is in Spain to negotiate a deal

Tottenham's hopes of getting Roberto Soldado on the cheap have faded

Soldado can go if he wants - for €30million and under our conditions.

Valencia president Amadeo Salvo

He added: "We agreed to meet Tottenham again to discuss the ways of paying and we did that because we understood that his buy-out clause would be met.

"Speaking about ways that deals are paid is normal and this will be done in a way that suits the financial department of Valencia and not that of any other clubs."

Spurs were previously thought to be reluctant to meet Soldado's release clause, and had hope to drive down the player's price as the transfer window drew to a close.

Andre Villas-Boas confirmed Spurs' interest in Roberto Soldado

And it appeared significant progress was being made after Andre Villas-Boas spoke publicly about the prospect of adding the 28-year-old.

Villas-Boas told a press conference in Hong Kong: "At the moment, he's just one of the players we are interested in.

"It's not a lie to anybody that we've been looking for a striker to strengthen our squad and to have more strength in depth.

"Roberto is one of the players we have been following and his career speaks for itself. He's a great striker.

Andre Villas-Boas wants to add to his strike-force

Negotiations are set to heat up for Roberto Soldado

"But there isn't a deal being struck at the moment, it's just interest and conversations."

It now looks like the intensity of those conversations is set to rise as negotiations move towards their conclusion.

Whether those negotiations end with Soldado in north London seems set to depend on whether Daniel Levy is willing to break Spurs' transfer record and meet Valencia's demands to bring the player on board.

Daniel Levy wil have to break Spurs' transfer record to bring Roberto Soldado on board